India not adequately harnessing potential of women in science: President

President Ram Nath Kovind on Saturday expressed concern over the low participation of women in higher science, saying the country is not adequately harnessing their scientific potential and it is a collective responsibility to overcome this social and systemic challenge.

He noted that of the 3,446 scientists working at the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, a premier national research and development organisation, only 632 or 18.3 per cent are women.

"In a week when women scientists have won Nobel prizes for physics and for chemistry, this is a telling statistic. It is a reminder of the scientific potential of our daughters that we are not adequately harnessing. This is both a social and systemic challenge but it is our collective responsibility to overcome it," the President said.

He was speaking at the inauguration of the fourth India International Science Festival (IISF) here.

The President said that science is done best when it is a collaborative venture, with resources including funding resources and facilities being shared.

This is the era of partnerships between research centres and universities. He urged the scientific community to mentor and open its doors to budding researchers and students in universities.

The President said that the role of science and scientific innovation in national developmental agenda is expanding day by day.

Mentioning the patent applications by Indian start-ups, Kovind said, "In 2017, patent applications by Indian start-ups rose to 909. This was a 15-fold increase from the number in 2016, when it was just 61."
The President also informed that "between 2012 and 2017, 649 Indian scientists have returned from abroad to pursue research opportunities at home. In the previous five years, only 243 scientists had come back."